


Ginger and Ebony

by Living_Free



Series: Slip and Slide [25]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alfred killing people who preyed on his grandsons, Batfamily, Bubble Bath, Crack, Damian and his college courses, Dick Grayson being a mom, Fluff, Humor, M/M, WARNING: discussions of predatory behaviour towards minors, and living his best life, batbros, best grandad ever, coconut oil is good for your hair, dick and jason supporting each other, redhead!jason todd, secret ginger jason todd, terry being an adorable baby, tim getting into trouble because of his lingerie collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 02:00:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17951498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Living_Free/pseuds/Living_Free
Summary: Jason's hair is exposed.Dick's full time job is being supportive.The boys all get along,And Bruce finds Tim's thong.





	Ginger and Ebony

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: Dick and Jason share experiences of older lecherous men preying on them when they were younger, on account of being 'exotic'. There are no gory details whatsoever, mainly because Alfred killed the men before they could do any harm to Dick or Jason.

Jason Todd was a man of many secrets. He secretly liked Dick the best in his family. He secretly felt bad for shooting Bruce that one time. He secretly enjoyed eating bubblegum flavoured cotton candy.

What was possibly his biggest secret, was that he was, in fact, a redhead. 

Roy teased him endlessly about dying his hair, the only person besides Bruce and Alfred to know about Jason's ginger ruse. Bruce had started dying his hair black early on, insisting that Robin's identity would be a giveaway if he suddenly was a redhead at the same time Jason Todd was adopted by Bruce Wayne. 

Jason dyed his hair every three weeks since that day, so that not even his roots could be seen. 

When he was with the League, Talia had said that his red hair was beautiful. Fiery, just like his personality. He had let it go precisely five weeks before giving into the urge and dying it again, just to feel like himself again. 

Jason carried Gotham in his hair as much as he did in his heart, and he was loath to grow out of it. 

Now, Jason crept into the upstairs bathroom, the hood of his jacket up, and his dye in hand. He had just returned from a long mission in Japan, and hadn't had time to touch up his hair. It was lucky that the helmet fully his his head. 

Jason crept into the bathroom and turned on the lights, only to see-

"DICK!"

Dick Grayson was in the tub, holding baby Terry and giving the happy infant a bubble bath. Dick looked up at Jason and smiled. "Little Wing, you're back! How was Japan?"

Jason scowled mightily at Dick. "Stop talking to me while you're in the tub, oh my god."

Dick pouted. "I'm just giving Terry a bath," he said, bouncing his baby in the bathwater. "I figured that since I'd get wet anyway, I may as well have a bath myself." Dick, ever observant, peered at the box in Jason's hand. "What's that? 'Black As Sin'..."

"It's nothing!"

"Is that Tim's new line of hair dye from Wayne Cosmetics?"

"No!"  
"It is," Dick observed. Then his expression softened into one of understanding. "Oh, Little Wing," he said gently, "are you getting a grey hair?"

"No!"

Dick continued to look askance at him, and finally, Jason relented, pulling down his hood, revealing his true red hair for the first time. Dick gasped and clapped a hand over his mouth. Terry, who was two months old and dripping with soap suds, gasped and also put his tiny hand over his tiny mouth. 

Jason could really make a case for drama being nurture vs nature right now. 

"Jaybird," Dick goggled, "your hair!"

Jason shuffled self conciously. "What, is it turning you on, or something?"

"Jaybird!" Dick got out of the bath, and Jason covered his eyes immediately. He heard Dick scoff. 

"Please, Jay, I'm wearing swimming trunks."

Jason opened his eyes to see his brother dripping wet and in the tiniest speedos to ever stretch across his perfect ass, and closed his eyes again. If nothing else, then to prevent an inferiority complex. 

"For god's sake," Dick grumbled and toweled himself and Terry off, and wrapped the towel around his waist. "You can look now," he said. 

Jason opened his eyes to see Dick, still moist and glistening, squeaky clean and wrapped from waist down in a thin Superman themed towel. "Does Bruce know that you own a Clark themed towel?"

"It's not Clark themed!" Dick defended himself shrilly. "It was two for one sale at WayneMart!"  
"Dick, you own 60% of WayneMart shares," Jason said.

"Still, bargains are good for the soul. But Jaybird," Dick said, "your hair!"

Jason sighed and took Terry from Dick's arms. "Hey Terry Berry," Jason cooed at his godson, "do you still recognize god-daddy Jay?"

Terry looked up at Jason and smiled his signature gummy grin. A knot in Jason's chest unravelled at the sight. "Who's the smartest baby to ever be a baby?" Jason cooed. "Not Damian, that's who."

Outside, Damian was raking leaves and felt an itch developing. An itch to murder.

Jason, unbeknownst to his brother, continued to fawn over his godson. Dick smiled gently at the sight and took the opportunity to observe Jason's hair. It wasn't the shade of red that Wally or Barbara sported - a light, fiery reddish orange. Jason's hair was more like Auntie Kate's - a deep, blood red, lustrous and bold. And through everything, there was that irreverent white streak in his bangs, lying gracefully across his forehead. It amused Dick to think that despite everything, Jason never dyed his white streak. 

"Why're you staring, Dickhead?' Jason asked congenially. 

Dick smiled. "You're so beautiful, Jason."

Jason started. "I knew that your thirst for red hair would emerge." He grabbed a bar of soap and brandished at his brother. "Back, Dickface! Back!"

Dick laughed gaily. "I'm not hot for you, Jay," he assured his brother. "I'm just telling the truth - you look beautful with your natural hair. You should let it be seen more often."

Jason sighed and grabbed the baby oil and gestured to Dick to grab the baby powder and a diaper as they got Terry ready for the day. They worked together in silence over Terry for a few minutes before Jason spoke again. "It's not that I don't like it," he said. "It's just- it's always been a liability. On the streets, a little boy with stand out hair was going to get stared at, ogled, and...y'know."

Dick did know. The stares that you attracted for being 'exotic'. A foreigner with blue eyes and tanned skin, who moved like a dancer. The brazen comments, and at times, the attempted touches. 

Bruce had come as close to murder as he ever would when he found out, when Dick was thirteen. Dick never wanted to see Bruce look like that again - upset that his son had been exposed to those leches, and as angry as a demon at the offenders.

He had upended the desert table at the banquet that night. The men had either left Gotham, or dropped off the face of the earth altogether. Dick suspected that Alfred had had something to do with it. 

"When I became Robin, Bruce said that it was a liability. People could trace my identity back. So I dyed it to look more like you." Jason looked up. "I don't regret it, y'know. It's just hair. I'd rather have this-" he gestured at Dick and Terry, and then at his scars, "than my hair. Any day."

"You can have both, Little Wing," Dick said. In a moment of boldness, he reached over and pressed a kiss to Jason's head. 

"Eck. Dick juice," Jason grumbled, wiping at his hair. 

"Love you, Little Wing."

"Mwah," Terry reaffirmed. 

Jason grinned and massaged the baby oil into Terry's tiny baby tummy. "You look beautiful just the way you are, Terry Berry," Jason cooed. "You can stay a tiny peanut forever."

"Jay," Dick spoke again, "are you going to keep dying your hair?"

"Yeah," Jason said. "I didn't intend to, but it's kinda my thing now, y'know? I own it. Black hair with a streak of white. The Robin that survived. It's all me now."

"I'm glad to hear that, Little Wing," Dick said. "But I'm worried about your hair. The chemicals can't be good for you. And you don't apply any conditioner-"

"Because I'm not a huge girl-"

"-Moisturized roots aren't gender specific, Jay. I just want to make sure your little head is healthy!"

"Ugh, fine," Jason said, inching away from Dick's earnest love. "I'll give it a break every now and then, ok?"

"And?"

"And I'll use your damn conditioner."

"Yay!"

"Oh my god, Dick you overenthusiatic mango," Jason cringed. "Get out of the bathroom, I'm gonna wash my hair."

"Okay, Little Wing!" Dick said, bouncing out with Terry. "I'm so proud of your mature outlook on life!"

"Ugh," Jason said, shutting the door behind him, while Dick doubtless hung around outside, singing cutesy praises and encouragement to Jason. 

Jason got into the tub and turned on the shower, watching the remnants of his dye run down his body in rivulets. That was that, then. He was back to the OG look. It felt...strange.

Good, though. 

Maybe Dick wasn't all fluff and sentiment after all.

"I'm so proud that you're overcoming your past trauma, Little Wing!" Dick's voice sounded outside the door.

"Dick! I'm in the bath, go away!" Jason shrieked. He waited until he heard the sound of Dick's footsteps and then looked in the mirror. 

And for the first time, Jason liked what he saw. 

***  
Jason made his debut at the breakfast table, and was assaulted by shouts and opinions.

"Father! Todd has changed his hair colour! I, too, want to change mine!"

"Wayne Cosmetics has lost a loyal customer," Tim said, shaking his head. 

"Buck up, Timbo," Jason said, "I'm going to have to start buying conditioner now. And besides, it's only for a while. I'll re-dye it soon."

"Aw yiss, double sales," Tim grinned. "Y'know, I might dye my hair too. I've always wanted to go blue, to match Kon's costume."

"No minor children of mine will dye their hair!" Bruce said, slaming his fist on the table. "That being said, you look very nice, Jason. I always felt bad for making you dye your hair."

"You said it was creepy because I looked like Aunt Kate, and that it would only add fuel to the rumors about the Waynes all boinking each other."

"To be fair," Tim said, "the press only goes with that because Dick is super affectionate and kissy with us."

"They are just jealous," Damian scoffed, and was rewarded with a blinding smile from Dick and his older brother serving him an omlette with a decorative smiley face made of tomatoes. Damian snuck a look at everyone else's breakfast. They got sad oatmeal goop and only Damian got a special smiley. Damian dug in, happy with himself.

"Father," Damian said, "I, too, have a hood in my costume that hides my hair. Might I also dye it?"

"No."

"But why?"

"Because I said so."

"Because your hair is perfect just the way it is, Dami," Dick said immediately. "Jason continues to dye his hair because now, he actually wants to. Besides, I'm worried that the chemicals will dry out your spiky little head!"

"Mother uses henna* and coconut oil," Damian remembered. "Her hair is glorious. I will also use coconut oil. Grayson," he asked, "would you help me warm up the coconut oil?"

"Of course, Dami, that's so clever!" Dick trilled. "And we can use it to moisturize Jay's little head too!"

"His head is rather lacking," Damian agreed. 

"Hey!"

And that was how Jason found himself sitting at Dick's feet while his older brother massaged warm coconut oil into his scalp, while Damian, who had already had his tiny head massaged, was sitting next to Jason with a hot towel wrapped around his head, channelling a rich socialite's wife at the salon.

Dick was on cloud nine, humming and working his fingers through Jason's head. "Oh my god, kill me now," Jason grumbled, as Bruce walked in, holding Terry.

"Look at that, Terrykins," Bruce rumbled, "Uncle Jay is finally moisturizing his head pores. Perhaps this will get rid of his dandruff."

"I do not have dandruff!" Jason yelled. 

"Then who keeps leaving flakes all over the couch?"

Damian looked up. "Ah. That would be Titus, father," he explained. "He has dry skin. I took him to the vet, who was sub-par, so I have been giving him medicated baths myself."

"Your dog shed on my antique 13th century armchair," Bruce gritted out. 

"Titus' plight is far more important than your antique arse placeholder, father," Damian scolded. "My poor Titus was itching something terrible."

Meanwhile, Dick was wrapping Jason's hair in a hot towel. "All done!" He sang happily. "You're going to have the softest hair, Jaybird!"

"Thanks," Jason grumbled shyly, as Dick rubbed his ears and as soon he he let go, Jason scuttled away like an agile lobster. "Yeet," Jason said, clattering away in a crab-crawl. However, he didn't get far before Damian expertly tripped him up.

"That was inadequate thanks for Graysons tender ministrations, Todd," Damian chastised him. "As proper recompense, you will stay here for your steaming session and have 'family time' to appease Grayson's need for togetherness."

Jason settled in as Dick peppered Damian with butterfly kisses, praising his empathy and quick reflexes. Damian basked in the praise and tried to look nonchalant, keeping his eyes fixed on his physiology textbook, but smiling like the smug eel that he was the whole time. "Father, let me hold Terrence, I will read to him."

Bruce handed Terry over and sat down on the couch, where Dick draped himself over him like an affectionate carpet. Damian positioned Terry in his lap, cleared his throat, and began to read-

"The parietal lobe of the brain is responsible for numerous functions that govern the human body, and contains the sensory area, which is responsible for translating sensations. Hmm, I wonder whether Drake's sensory cortex is overactive - he is forever wearing lacy stockings and rubbing them and moaning-"

"NO," Bruce, Dick, and Jason all yelled. Bruce scooped Terry up, Jason shut Damian's textbook, and Dick scooped Damian into his arms. 

"Come, Terrykins," Bruce rumbled, "we're going to pay your oversexed Uncle Timmy a visit." With that, Bruce stomped up the stairs with the ever cheerful baby in his arms. 

Dick was bouncing a confused Damian in his arms while Jason hooted with mirth. "Oh my god," Jason giggled, "Tim's overactive sensory cortex."

"Oh, I hope that Bruce won't burn Timmy's stockings again," Dick worried. "Some of them are really pretty. Poor Kon bought them for Tim himself."

"Do you have anything going on in your skull?" Jason asked, intrigued. 

"I can appreciate good fashion when I see it, Little Wing."

"You forget, lying goober, that I was witness to Discowing, and The Ponytail."

"They were valid fashion choices!"

"No, they were the dreams of a madman!"

Suddenly, they heard a shrill, thin, wail from upstairs. 

"Oh, poor Timmy," Dick said sadly.

"No, that sounds like Bruce," Jason said, straining his ears. Another wail. "Definitely Bruce."

"Do you think that he found Timmy's exotic panty collection?" Dick asked fearfully. 

Jason paled. "You take care of Tim, and I'll knock Bruce out?"

Dick nodded. "You got it, Little Wing."

And just like that, the brothers were tackling another mission with the best possible tools at their disposal - each other.

**Author's Note:**

> *henna is a natural dye that can colour hair a deep reddish brown.


End file.
